Field Recordings

A select collection of field recordings

Brokenstraw State Forest – Panama, NY: Recorded with Rode M5’s in stereo ORTF into a Mixpre 6 In late April, a family of beavers are busy at work chewing on sticks, swimming, and slapping their tails. Spring Peeper choruses fill the space with sound as their songs reflect off a line of conifer trees on the opposite side of the pond, creating a pleasing reverberation.

 

Brokenstraw State Forest – Panama, NY: Recorded with Rode M5’s in stereo ORTF into a Mixpre 6 The southern entrance of the state Forest consists of a very dense and dark stand of Spruce and Pine trees. This portion of the forest doesn’t actually constitute the natural forest structure of area. In fact, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) planted this specific conifer stand back in the 1930’s in an effort to reforest agricultural lands. Today, local efforts to regenerate the natural forest structure have involved thinning these stands to allow light to reach the forest floor and give broad leaf trees a chance to regenerate. This portion of the forest, however, has remained untouched by these forestry management strategies These tall skinny conifer trees comb the winds that blow from Lake Erie rolling across the hills of western New York State. You can physically locate the breeze as it slowly moves through the forest, and you can hear the surrounding landscape react to the change in atmosphere. This lack a variety in tree species restricts the diversity of wildlife in this area, but the dense tree structure provides a tight, yet lush acoustic character that I find rather ominous.

 

Light, medium, and heavy rainfall amongst claps of thunder and an emergency siren, resonating across the lake in early May.

 

Short excerpt of an evening recording made in Chatauqua State Forest in Mayville New York, featuring one very persistent Veery.

 

 

 

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More recordings coming soon…